Lawson Turnback
The Project
The project involves the construction of rail works associated with the widening of the Great Western Highway at Lawson where the highway runs parallel to the Main Western rail line.
The work is essential to facilitate the widening of the highway at this location.
Scope of Work
As the main contractor with Railcorp the works involve the construction of retaining walls and excavation works, drainage works, new track work, miscellaneous structural work, fencing, modifications to the overhead wiring infrastructure and low voltage electrical works.
The work site covers approximately 800 m and the contract includes the supply of all labour, materials and plant required to complete the civil works and modifications to the rail infrastructure
Challenges & Innovations
This highway upgrade requires taking up a strip of Railcorp’s rail corridor alongside the existing road to provide enough room for this widening of the road to occur. The civil, track and electrification works to enable Railcorp to hand over the necessary piece of land to widen the highway, require the reconfiguration of all the overhead wiring and the construction of a decline structure to hold the two new turnback sidings.
The staging of works is controlled by Railcorp necessitate work to be efficiently programmed to be completed in the four track possessions scheduled per year scheduled, as most of the activities involving overhead wiring have to be carried out under track occupancy.
The activities involving the demolition of the overhead wiring over the redundant sidings were of great importance as it was impeding the piling work. This was considered one of the most important activities within the scope of work.
The construction of the footings for overhead wiring commenced in July 2008 and were finalised during the track possession scheduled for 16 and 17 August.
During the same possession some of the overhead wiring masts were be erected, enabling the transfer of wires during the October track closure.
On the weekend of 18-19 October, critical shut down number three took place at the Lawson Turnback project.
In the last possession the MVM team and its subcontractors installed all the overhead wiring structures (portals and cantilevers) through the Lawson station.
On the civil works side of things, the piling wall (276 piles) and the capping beam that ties all piles together have been completed. The excavation necessary to form the dive structure is underway.
The project has undergone a number of successful internal and external Safety and Quality (RailCorp) audits.